Xbox Live! Community Doubles in One Year
by Steve Parsons 
{ Jul 21st 2005 at 5:40PM }
That's right, ladies and gentlemen, Xbox Live now commands a whopping four accounts!
I kid, I kid! You can put down that energy sword! If you believe this article, Xbox Live now consists of two
million
members. That's a lot of gamers!
Supposedly, according to this article, that equals one new member every 30 seconds. I am, however, far too
lazy to do the math to confirm or deny this.
In the time it takes you to read this story, someone has signed up for Xbox live. (Unless you read exceptionally fast,
in which case you are on your own.) This is largely a fluff piece pimping Xbox Live, but it gives a look at what can be
expected when Xbox 360 appears later this year, and the pay service is revamped for the new system.
Still, two million members. Staggering to think, eh?
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
BoB @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Not surprising at all, the amount of people that have brought the Halo XBL starter pack from GAME (where i work) is crazy, i swear we sell 3 every day.
GTgamer @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
That's an impressive amount of skepticism to pack into a short summary.
The X-month free subscription cards that are included with a lot of Xbox games makes it pretty believable. The question is how many of the new subscribers will remain active subscribers for longer periods.
Danny boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
I currently have 56 XBL members online on my friends list and 40 of them are playing HALO 2. (6 on Foroza and 1 on Conker and 4 on Rainbow 6)
Thats quite a lot of people and most of them are on XBL when i log in.
Spartacus @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Not surprising at all really. I mean look at the post just above this one- WoW has 3.5 million subscribers, and that's for one game, not a multitude. I would also like to point out to all those that gripe and moan about the cost of LIVE- it costs $130 LESS per year than WoW and allows access to ANY xbox LIVE enabled game. Fifty bones a year is a petty price to pay for such a service.
Thundercizzle @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Well I'm still not one of those. I don't think I should have to pay for something like that.
E.V @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Im sure they are counting the free 2-months subscription cards. I know one person that has 12 different accounts using those cards. Why he does it? Good question...I blame it in multiple Gamer Tag Disorder.I’m sure they are counting the free 2-months subscription cards. I know one person that has 12 different accounts using those cards. Why he does it? Good question...I blame it on “Multiple Gamer Tag Disorder.” Better known as “MGTD” lol
Sherjan @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
guys, for WoW, arent you already paying for the ONLINE when u buy the game?
Secondly (GTgamer), the 2 million members DO NOT INCLUDE the 2 mnth free subscriptions. The 2 million gamers are FULL TIME 12 month subscribers. So thats pretty good eh! (I am canadian)
Danny boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Yea, i read in my Xbox mag that the 2 month subscribers don't get counted.
SiN ViCioUs @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Correct! Not counted! But Sony fan boys dont want this to be true... so.. you all know how it is...
Danny boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Thats could mean 2 million people buying an Xbox 360.. This is very good for Microsoft indeed, there are also Rumors that WOW is coming over to the 360! YES!
You can also use your current account on the Xbox 360 and still use it on your old Xbox, I can't wait to race around on PGR3 with my mates!
vic-20 @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
You know, I should drop XBL. I've been going month-to-month and have probably only gone on 5 times in the last year. Why can't I bring myself to cancel?
jeff @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
this is easily explained. there are tons of cheaters in halo 2, they got banned, so they had to make new accounts :)
BoB @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Haha, you obviosuly don't even have XBL because if you did you would know that you can't "Drop" it, you just wait untill it Runs out. So if you had a year account it would have alredy run out... Hah. Trying to prove a point were you?
Danny boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
So XBL is so good that even after being banned they get new accounts..Woah.
SetupWeasel @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Wow... less than a 10% share of XBOX users... staggering... absolutely staggering... zzz... zzz... zzz...
jeff @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
the problem lies within the 2 month free trial. the cheaters aren't afraid of getting caught, because if their tag gets banned they can make a new one for free. xbl needs to make a choice, either ban the xbox itself, or kill the free trial if they want less cheating.
Asher @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
"Haha, you obviosuly don't even have XBL because if you did you would know that you can't "Drop" it, you just wait untill it Runs out. So if you had a year account it would have alredy run out... Hah. Trying to prove a point were you?"
Sorry, but your wrong. You have to call and cancel your subsription otherwise they will automaticly renew your account.
Coollead @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
I was under the impression that the Xbox's serial number was the object that was banned. I read that you could take the login info for your live account, and still use it on another Xbox.
Anyway, my point. Version 3 of the Xbox Live! starter kits came in to work a few days ago...nothing new other than it comes with Project Gotham 2 now...and...right on the cover of the box..
XBOX 360 COMPATIBLE.
I thought that was pretty funny.
Noi @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Aye lad, 2 Millions subscribers and only 2 people online. Total B.S.!
Adam @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Just FYI...there are two types of bans. One is a full system ban from XBox Live people. This happends usually if you modify your hardware (and get caught) or if you get a ton of negative feedback that say you're an ass when you play online. The latter case is usually just a temporary ban on your gamertag. If they catch you modifying your hardware then your XBOX serial number is banned (although there is a way to change it and get around it), but you can still use your gamertag on another xbox. The second kind of ban is from individual games. I'm not sure what games do invididual game bans, but I do know that Halo 2 does. They generally only do bans for known cheaters. These cheaters are banned from the MatchMaking portion of Halo 2 only...they can still make custom games and play online with peope on their friends list, and they can also play any other game other than Halo 2 online. Because I do not play much of any other game than Halo 2 online, I'm not sure how bad the cheating is in other games. Before the autoupdate that was released a couple days ago for Halo 2, the cheating was getting to be pretty bad. I'd say one in 6 or 7 games I played would be with a cheater. Since the autoupdate, however, I have not seen any cheaters. Yay!
Danny Boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
People being banned beacuse of hacking in halo 2 are not being bannded from live, only Matchmaking (With the latest update).
Adam @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Danny Boy....that's exactly what I said.
"These cheaters (hackers) are banned from the MatchMaking portion of Halo 2 only...they can still make custom games and play online with people on their friends list, and they can also play any other game other than Halo 2 online."
Danny Boy @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
@19... Lol, there are probably over 500,000 people playing Halo 2 as we speak.
I have 40 people on my friends list playing Halo 2 and anoher 14 in My clan.
BoB @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
After one year of XBL my account ran out, then i had to renew it...
Exidor @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
Hey BoB, I had XBL for a year, it ran out, and I have been going month-to-month since then, which I think has been about another year. It costs me $6.48 a month. My only point was that for some reason I continue to pay for something that I don't use. After further thought, I'm pretty sure the reason I don't go on is because of people like you.
CapTn_InSanO @ Dec 18th 2005 9:47PM
2 million users is still less than 10% of all xbox users signing up. again wow as 3.5 million and thats for one game and it costs more. that xbl must really be a big sweaty pile of crap.
i player a rousing game of madden at my cousins house on xbl. it was great until i was kicking ass and the guy pulled out.
hey you xbl guys, get some real friends to come over and actually play. you know real human contact and all. you might actually meet a girl and stop living in your parents basement at 35 years old.